MARKET DEVELOPMENT
MPOB is Also Into Research
MPOB is Also Into Research
04/07/2016 (Daily Express) - The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), a government agency responsible for the promotion and development of the palm oil industry in Malaysia, is also a research entity.
Speaking to the Daily Express, MPOB Head of Biomass Technology Unit, Dr Astimar Abdul Aziz said, "We also do research and development (R&D). At the same time, we also facilitate any efforts by the industry players to commercialise their products, services or production methods.
"We facilitate in terms of funding but we are not a funding agency. If we find any particular project that is very crucial and important, we can collaborate by linking the project owner with the right fund provider."
According to Dr Astimar, MPOB's researchers and scientists can be considered 'world-class', and the agency has offered over 400 technologies to the oil-palm industry throughout the years since its inception in 2006. "As far as the industry is concerned, R&D starts from upstream biology, and then the milling side, the midstream and then downstream, and the non-food utilisation of palm oil which is a lot," she said. In carrying out its own R&D, she said, MPOB patents some of its technologies. "For example, we have patented our technology on converting the empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres, which is biomass, into cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose.
First of all, we isolate the cellulose part of the EFB fibres."
"Then we use the methylation technology to derivatise the cellulose into carboxymethycellulose.
There are different forms of cellulose. Another one is microcrystalline cellulose which is a more refined form of cellulose," she explained.
Cellulose is a substance found in plants, and used in making paper, textiles and pharmaceuticals, among other products.
Carboxymethylcellulose is cellulose gum found in all plants, and generally used as a thickening agent in all kinds of food products.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a term for refined wood pulp and used as a texturizer, an emulsifier and a bulking agent in food production.
The most common form is used in vitamin supplements or tablets.
On nanotechnology, Dr Astimar said it is a different technology to make cellulose into pure cellulose.
MPOB also conducts research on drug excipients or carriers (for holding any drugs for oral consumption) in the pharmaceutical industry. "We have already patented that," she added.
Drug excipients play a major role in the formulation development and manufacturing process of drugs.
A pharmaceutical excipient is a natural or synthetic substance formulated alongside the active ingredient of a drug for the purpose of stabilising the product.
It is contained in a finished pharmaceutical product in dosage form. It facilitates drug absorption by the body for maximum effectiveness.
Speaking to the Daily Express, MPOB Head of Biomass Technology Unit, Dr Astimar Abdul Aziz said, "We also do research and development (R&D). At the same time, we also facilitate any efforts by the industry players to commercialise their products, services or production methods.
"We facilitate in terms of funding but we are not a funding agency. If we find any particular project that is very crucial and important, we can collaborate by linking the project owner with the right fund provider."
According to Dr Astimar, MPOB's researchers and scientists can be considered 'world-class', and the agency has offered over 400 technologies to the oil-palm industry throughout the years since its inception in 2006. "As far as the industry is concerned, R&D starts from upstream biology, and then the milling side, the midstream and then downstream, and the non-food utilisation of palm oil which is a lot," she said. In carrying out its own R&D, she said, MPOB patents some of its technologies. "For example, we have patented our technology on converting the empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres, which is biomass, into cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose.
First of all, we isolate the cellulose part of the EFB fibres."
"Then we use the methylation technology to derivatise the cellulose into carboxymethycellulose.
There are different forms of cellulose. Another one is microcrystalline cellulose which is a more refined form of cellulose," she explained.
Cellulose is a substance found in plants, and used in making paper, textiles and pharmaceuticals, among other products.
Carboxymethylcellulose is cellulose gum found in all plants, and generally used as a thickening agent in all kinds of food products.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a term for refined wood pulp and used as a texturizer, an emulsifier and a bulking agent in food production.
The most common form is used in vitamin supplements or tablets.
On nanotechnology, Dr Astimar said it is a different technology to make cellulose into pure cellulose.
MPOB also conducts research on drug excipients or carriers (for holding any drugs for oral consumption) in the pharmaceutical industry. "We have already patented that," she added.
Drug excipients play a major role in the formulation development and manufacturing process of drugs.
A pharmaceutical excipient is a natural or synthetic substance formulated alongside the active ingredient of a drug for the purpose of stabilising the product.
It is contained in a finished pharmaceutical product in dosage form. It facilitates drug absorption by the body for maximum effectiveness.